Mission Statement
The Frida Cinema is a program of the Long Beach Cinematheque, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts organization. The Frida Cinema will serve Santa Ana and neighboring communities as an arthouse cinema, dedicated to enriching, connecting, and educating communities through the art of cinema.

What’s an “Arthouse”?
A community-based, mission-driven cinema which exists for the love of cinema, and the cultural enrichment of a local community. Whereas an arthouse cinema’s focus is on the screening of foreign, independent, documentary, LGBT, student, experimental, and other often-unrepresented genres of cinema, such venues also serve the community as centers for education, community engagement, multimedia events, spoken word presentations, and other non-cinematic engagements of community and art.

How did we choose the name The Frida Cinema?Excerpt from a recent interview with Long Beach Cinematheque and Frida Cinema founder/director Logan Crow: “To live a life dedicated to the arts – any art – is a joy, but also a struggle. It’s a struggle against opposing voices who suggest a life in the arts is a life wasted; it’s a struggle against budgets, deadlines, external and internal pressure; and it’s an ongoing struggle against those in positions of power and influence who do not fully recognize the tremendous value and importance for arts education. We chose to name our theatre after one of art’s greatest fighters, and most persevering spirits. The legacy of Frida Kahlo transcends the beauty and originality of her art, amazing as it may be. Frida was an advocate and a fighter for art and free expression, and her commitment to art and culture didn’t end with the final brushstroke, or once the painting was hung on the wall. This amazing and inspiring artist survived the Mexican revolution, polio, a horrific and debilitating bus crash, lifelong physical pain, over thirty operations, and never seemed to let it phase both her work and her freely-expressed individuality, sexuality, politics, and wildly unique and personal creative flourishes. Art is a language that has to be defended and fought for – here we are in 2013, still fighting the fight as programs are being slashed – music, art, film classes – as so many of our leaders continue to this day to not understand how integral and deeply personal the Language of Art it is for so many, artists and arts-lovers alike. And I think of all the artistic media, cinema gets the least love as a true artistic artform – this may be because the films that are most touted are the mega-budget and mega-sequel films (not to suggest these films are completely devoid of art), or because people perceive a film as a collaboration of countless individuals producing a product, as opposed to one singular artist. So I believe that film, and filmmakers, need advocates as well. An arthouse programmer is a curator of film: we put pictures on walls too, it’s just that our pictures move. And personally, when I feel an oncoming fight with pessimism or a sense of defeat – as, sadly, a lot of us artists are doomed to do from time to time – I look to my heroes. Frida is most definitely one of them, and again, for me her influence transcends the mere singular beauty of her work. The fact that her art and legacy almost instantly transcended the acclaim of her own regional Mexican community of artists and art-lovers, to international and infinite iconic recognition, speaks to her impact. An arthouse is a Mission for cinematic art – I’m both humbled and excited to name our Mission after such a tremendous and legendary hero of the arts.”

How can I help?
Glad you asked! We NEED your help!

Please consider joining the Frida Cinema as an annual member – you’ll get a swanky membership card, plus discounts throughout the year not only at the cinema, but at businesses throughout your community as well. Not to mention, of course, the distinct satisfaction of knowing you did your part to keep the arts alive in your community! We’ve rolled our Membership tiers into an Indiegogo campaign in the effort to raise funds to open our doors – Click here to join us! If you’d prefer not to join us as of yet, but still wish to make a donation, you may do so at that same link. All gifts will go a long way in helping us accomplish our mission to enrich, connect, and educate communities through the art of cinema.

Can’t I just mail a check?
Sure you can! Please make your check out to The Frida Cinema, and mail to: